Acknowledging the gift: how an unconditional basic income encourages reciprocity

The idea of Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) has received widespread attention in the last decades, due to its radical proposal to distribute real freedom. Hence, central to the debate on UBI are the values of freedom, non-paternalism, and individualism. However, the debate has relegated discussions on community and interdependence, often reinforcing the concerns of those who oppose the idea of UBI on the grounds that there is a tension between enhancing individuals’ freedom, and upholding obligations of reciprocity. The intention of the six articles that, together, constitute this dissertation, is to help solve this tension. This dissertation analyses the objection of reciprocity to UBI and explores the most common replies to the objection. It argues that all of them are limited in how they look at the tension between freedom and reciprocity, given that they either accept it, or disregard it. Hence, it is proposed that we reframe our view of reciprocity and assume its multifaceted nature. For the project of this dissertation, a form of generalized reciprocity is endorsed, which includes the idea that we should encourage civic reciprocity, aiming at fostering relationships of civic friendship, where returns do not have to be proportionate, immediate, or direct. Such a view still requires that a significant number of people ought to contribute, according to their abilities and preferences, and therefore it is further claimed that when it comes to economic reciprocity, we should promote the value of autonomous reciprocity, as the possibility to participate in cooperative production in a non-dominating way, and in equal standing with others. A UBI is argued to be the best mechanism to promote both civic reciprocity and encourage the value of autonomous reciprocity. It is claimed that UBI is experienced as a gift by those who receive it, which in turn generates a moral obligation to reciprocate. The mechanisms through which this happens are twofold: a sense of indebtedness and a felling of gratitude. The conclusion is that a UBI does not embody any tension between freedom and reciprocity, but rather allows us to reconcile it, by granting everyone the freedom, the capacity but also the incentive (and positive motives) to cooperate to the social product.